We have often had boats in this position and mostly they decide time on the water to be more beneficial than close racing, in RNI leg two you will only be in sight to North Cape and may not see another boat until you enter Cook Strait
Enter longhaul, if no one else similar does and your going to be all alone we will swap you to SH.
I did this in 2011 as was doing 2012 RNZ, in the 100 we were caught on the wrong side of a wind change, the finish boat said just send us your finish time
That was the year the 40kts can in from the north and the yachts ahead wiped out and dropped rigs